Jeremy
Stephens is taking another gamble late in his combat sports
career.
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Stephens is returning for his second
Ultimate Fighting Championship stint after a successful run in
BKFC. Stephens’ name was the biggest surprise addition to the
upcoming
UFC Des Moines card. Stephens will take on Mason Jones
in front of home fans at the Wells Fargo arena in Des Moines, Iowa,
on May 3.
Stephens was visiting his parents in Iowa when his wife advised him
to reach out UFC CEO Dana White. Stephens had to wait for a week
before White responded. A call from UFC chief business officer
Hunter
Campbell followed and Stephens’ return was set up. Stephens
revealed that his new UFC contract is a one-fight deal. While he is
always up for any opportunities that present themselves in the UFC,
Stephens mostly sees himself returning to BKFC following UFC Des
Moines.
“It’s just a one-and-done, dude. Again, I’m betting on me, I can
really set myself up for an opportunity to go in there and show and
dominate… I see me going back to bare knuckle. I would like to
fight Mike Perry,
someone big. If there’s some opportunity there in the UFC, that’s
for sure too, bro. I’m not worried about any of that,” Stephens
said on „The Ariel Helwani Show.”
Stephens hadn’t won in six outings when he was cut from the UFC in
2021. It also didn’t help that Stephens injured his final scheduled
opponent Drakkar
Klose by shoving him, leading to Klose getting replaced by
Mateusz
Gamrot.
Stephens then competed in the
Professional Fighters League, boxing and the BKFC, where he is
undefeated in three outings — including win over former UFC champ
Eddie
Alvarez this past January. Stephens revealed that a lack of
communication from BKFC chairman Dave Feldman led to him exploring
free agency after exhausting his contract.